Odi et Amo
by kingreca
Summary: The intricacies of relationships hit Warbler Jeff and Nick full in the face. Currently in their sophomore year, the two wage in conflicts before they realize their developing unusual romance. Jeff & Nick/OC/Blaine. Rated T for early chapters.
1. The Spark of Something New

Odi et Amo (I Hate and I Love)

**A/N – This fanfic takes place before the events of Glee season 2. Blaine hasn't admitted that he's gay yet. I just had to use Blaine for the discovery of the two main character's (Jeff and Nick) sexuality. Also, I hope you wouldn't mind that I made Blaine a sophomore, meeting OCs of mine, and naming those unnamed Warblers (pro'lly I'll get them from that circulating unofficial picture of the Warblers' yearbook). BTW, I'm making some New Directions members cameo in some chapters but I won't mention their names. Guess you'll have to figure it out yourselves. Enjoy! :)**

**A/N 2 – Reread the whole thing for reference to future chapters and spotted loopholes I've overlooked even on my first and second edit. Chapter 1 and 2 was majorly edited.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Glee or any of its characters, organizations, places, events or any of its actors/actresses; I thank the producers of Glee (Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan) for those and its respective artists/celebrities. I claim to own this fanfiction, the story/plot, and original characters created by Yours Truly. This fanfiction makes no profit and is not for sale, and can be viewed by the general public without any charges**. **Any references/portrayal to real events/people is purely coincidental. This has been written for creative purposes only.**

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><p>Chapter 1: The Spark of Something New<p>

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><p>Summer. The most crucial part of every teenager's life. Jeff wished nothing short of a perfect, relaxing, and fun vacation. The one person that screws up his plans is his girlfriend, Riley. Her demands, much to Jeff's displeasure, always included having Jeff by her side. It is not that he is in a relationship rut, but he believes summer to be away from priorities and commitment – even school, which he was glad that was out of the way momentarily. Though, to show his compassion and dedication to their relationship, Jeff decided to ride-in in her girlfriend's constant mind games.<p>

Meanwhile, Nick, Jeff's best friend since childhood, dogged Jeff throughout his hopeless romantique ways for his girlfriend. Nick and his best friend go to the same school (_Westerville_, _Ohio_'s _Dalton Academy_) Jeff once convinced him to join the glee club, the Warblers, to impress girls. Nick agreed to do so but suffered regular rehearsals, then compromising his grades.

The two boys are sheltered within the confines of the pioneering private school the whole semester. Riley felt that summer is the only time she and Jeff hangs out or have dinner dates, but she often sensed hindering lack of interest.

Jeff has four siblings, one of which is a female. Once, Nick played epic on drums for a school concert and interested Jeff in forming a band of their own. Thus, Jeff and Nick founded a band with three of Jeff's siblings, his other brother being the manager because of lack of talent and skills.

He was a talented bassist and a creative composer, Nick could attest to that. He could've sworn girls were swooning on them, but they were just starting out and only have erratic band rehearsals.

Mid-summer, Jeff and Riley were in _Starbucks_ having a coffee. Jeff was in his usual blue, checkered polo, sipping mindlessly onto the straw of his iced mocha drink. His blonde hair making much distinction upon the sunlight, though it was America and it was thriving of blondes so nobody made fusses over it. But Riley did. She was partly Asian, but thankful that she inherited her mother's light-brown hair. In spite of that, she insisted him to dye his hair brown. Hesitant to do so, Jeff only dyed part of the back of his hair brown to stop her from getting on his nerves.

Unconsciously, Riley silently observed her boyfriend's face as if appraising for unanticipated slip-ups. She distinguished his nose from somebody else's, particularly those celebrities who have quite a large nose. She deemed that Jeff had a dopey – or as what she calls it, "_derpy_" – face look on him, but still looked as adorable and cute as ever. "Would you consider a nose job?" she asked tactlessly.

"No," he replied instantly then rubbed his nose on instinct, although Riley was no longer looking.

Contrary to her thoughts, Jeff made quick glances at his girlfriend who was wearing a spotless, white dress which was revealing half her thighs and her whole legs. He was eyeing the tiny tiara Riley was wearing and wondered how much it cost, considering that Riley doesn't always buy things for herself. He was afraid to ask because he thought she would misconstrue him with rather senseless thoughts.

The door suddenly opened and the warm breeze fleetingly brushed their skins. The chime, hanging from the door frame, rang like music to their ears. Nick stood at the door wearing his winning grin, leaving the door ajar. His best friend replied with a smile. It was after Jeff caught sight of him approaching in the parking lot.

Jeff half-heartedly laughed at his best friend's attire. Nick wore a striped, long-sleeved, black and white shirt. The blonde knew from the beginning that Nick was addicted to long sleeves since Jeff noticed that his skin was starting to tan from the harmful rays of the sun. Jeff didn't know he would take it to heart and would wear long-sleeved clothes for the rest of his life.

"Hiya!" Nick greeted, moving toward to their table. "What's the plan for today?"

Riley's face turned grim, then replied. "I was hoping Jeff and I would have some time alone today."

"We could use some company," said Jeff, looking from Riley to Nick.

"Nick's always with us!" Riley shouted, her face flushing, which was noticeable under her pure white clothes. "Why can't we bring along _my_ friends for a change? Or, better yet, we should be dating alone!"

"Whaaat? We can still date while having company…"

"Not a date when someone is distracting your boyfriend…" muttered Riley defensively.

Nick, realizing that he was in the heat of the moment, decided to wait in the parking lot for their decision and started walking away, until Jeff called him when he was about to open the glass door.

"Wait! Where are you going?" he asked.

Nick flinched. "Oh… I'm going to wait for you two outside," he replied rather hesitantly. "I can't stand another of your fights."

Riley scoffed loudly and pretended to sip her coffee when Jeff heard her. She swore, under her breath, something like "_boys!_" The door opened once more and a common face greeted them with a friendly bow. It was Wes, the Warbler's head council, his shaded skin glimmering in the sunlight.

"Is it hot?" he asked, fanning himself with the use of his loose, blue shirt.

His Oriental descent was always the talk of the entire class and the glee club. He was born half-Asian, half-American. Although Wes was always mistaken to be Latino, his ancestry was still often debated. Apparently, he doesn't talk too much about his parentage or anything about himself; he seemed to have issues with his parents.

"Not much. How ya been doing?" Nick answered, trying to be a bit curt.

"Blaine's in a summer workshop. I've been meaning to talk to the two of you," he digressed. "We're graduating next year. David and Thad nominated Jeff and you to be next in council."

Jeff overheard this and stood up excitedly, nearly tipping the table and startling Riley. "Oh, man, that's sick!"

"I know you'd like the news," assured Wes. "But… Blaine… I'm sure he'll be devastated. I mean, he gets all the solos… but we still pick you"

"Yeah, why us?" Jeff asked suddenly, sparking an all-new interest in the subject.

Wes tersely scanned the area then whispered, "We doubt his sexuality. Thad thinks he plays for the other team, _if you know what I mean_"

Nick was filled with aghast, but he tried not to blush on the subject at matter. Jeff, meanwhile, was quite appalled and almost fell from his seat. He made an effort not to look concerned although there was this sensation he wanted to ask something. "What made him think that?"

"What? Who?"

"Thad. W-What made him think Blaine's, you know, g-gay?"

"Are you trying to defend him?" Wes, who was surprised, asked him. "It's not that I actually care since our school has zero-tolerance to bullying… you know that"

"I'm not saying you're bullying Blaine," opposed Jeff, "I'm asking for proof."

"You're quite silent, Nick. I bet you know something." Wes digressed yet again.

Nick, who was awfully quiet to where he was standing, raised his head. He noticed Riley, sipping silently through her coffee but was actually listening to their conversation, glaring at him. He gulped then answered nervously, "N-No. Well… I don't know. He has coifed hair? Yeah, coifed hair…"

"You have coifed hair," Jeff answered him seriously. "Does that mean you're… gay too?"

"Of course not!" Nick yelled in fluster. He was positive he saw an old woman jumping from her seat the moment he shouted. "Besides, Blaine's too good a friend for us to actually care about something like that. I am honored for being nominated, yes. But don't get me thinking that my friend, who deserves the spot, is bunked out because his sexuality is doubted. I hope you are sorry for Blaine too, Jeff."

Hearing his name, Jeff looked at Nick. His eyes were beady and wet, like he was about to cry. He sensed his concern for a friend… but he can feel a veiled implication within Nick's words.

"In the first place, I am," Jeff replied with no hesitations. "It's good you said that, man."

Nick, realizing that they went off on a tangent, decided to pick up on the topic they've deviated. "We're overlooking things, Jeff," he, then, addressed Wes again, "You said, you nominated two of us, but the council is traditionally supervised by three members. Who's the third you've nominated?"

"Aaahh," Wes dramatically exclaimed as if waiting for this moment to arrive. "We handpicked the third one. New to the Warblers, you see, and we will welcome the newcomer on our first summer meeting next week."

"_Handpicked_?" Jeff repeated. "That's new. Whoever it is might be good if it's 'handpicked' by the council themselves."

Nick put a finger upon his chin with closed eyes. "Handpicked, huh? We'll see how good the newbie is then."

Wes decided to end their conversation after he realized that he was intruding Jeff with his date, spotting Riley arms crossed and already done with her coffee. He told them that they should attend the meeting next week if ever they want to raise an objection or ask for further inquiries.

Jeff, Riley, and Nick got out of _Starbucks_ as soon as Jeff finished his iced mocha. Riley started another argument about mistreatment and how he forgot she still existed in just a snap.

It started to rain. Jeff would have called it blissful summer rain if it weren't for the constant rambling of his girlfriend. He quickly beckoned his best friend and girlfriend in his car as soon as it revved up.

As they were riding Jeff's car, Riley snapped. "I think your glee club is hampering our relationship."

"What? No!" Jeff cried as he automatically locked all doors by the time Nick got in. "First Nick, then this."

Riley was all too tired to make a snarky remark, but replied with a loud _hmmp!_

"I'm just sayin',"

"May I interrupt?" Nick suggested from the backseat, afterwards addressing Jeff's girlfriend. "Do you have something against me?"

Riley glared at him through the rear mirror, and then rotated half her body to face him. "In fact, I do, Nick. Fact is I think you're also being a nuisance to our relationship. You're stealing MY boyfriend's attention as if _you're_ the one who is in a relationship with him. Are you gay… or something?"

"You know what? Stop the car," demanded Nick, trying to get a-hold of himself. "I'm getting out."

"Did I hit a nerve?" Riley snarled, her nostrils flaring. "Or have I said the truth?"

"Stop! Both of you! Or I'll leave you both out of the car!" yelled Jeff.

Riley cleaned her ears and said, "Don't shout. I can hear you from here. Besides… you wouldn't leave your girlfriend out in the rain, would you?"

She was making puppy dog eyes and getting all flirty-like. Riley batted her eyelashes at Jeff, who cringed in bemusement. Jeff swerved around an intersection before he replied, "I won't if both of you shut it."

"Agreed," approved Nick, crossing his arms.

Mouthing, Riley mimicked Nick's reply. She kicked her feet and pretended to sleep, making dramatic flutters onto her dress.

Jeff looked at the rear mirror and smiled at Nick, who smiled back. He was thrilled at the thought that both he and Nick will be council next year for the Warblers. But then he thought of the third member of the council. Who could be the other one, if not Blaine? He had a lot of presumptions, most of them deliberately cancelling each other out. Wes mentioned the coming of a newbie: a preposterous idea, he thought. Even if Blaine WAS gay, surely he would have been council than a newbie who they haven't heard sing yet. But it didn't matter; Jeff was still happy having his best friend by his side.

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><p><strong>Thoughts? Reviews? I'd gladly make a consideration for the next chapter. Chapter 2 is ready to be served, although I'd like to hearread some reviews first :) It IS my first time to publish a fanfiction, anyway. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Two Birds, One Girl

Chapter 2: Two Birds, One Girl

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><p>"This meeting is called to order," said Wes, pounding his gavel on the desk, which made a thunderous sound across the room. "Warbler Blaine, the floor is yours." He was sitting in the middle of Thad and David behind an extensive, polished wooden desk.<p>

Thad, an evident Latino, was nominated and voted for having such wise decisions. He was often teased for his pearly, white skin which others say makes him look like a handsome corpse. Quite the silent charmer that he is, his fellow Warblers, however, knew about the childish trait he possesses. Most of the portraits and paintings hanging within the walls of their choir room were creations of his.

David, an African-American, neutralizes both Wes' belligerence and Thad's leniency. Far too often, he was mistaken to be the other African-American. Their schoolmates cannot tell them apart. He decided to make alterations on his hair so he can be distinguished correctly from the other African-American.

These three councilmen were voted for being a dynamic trio and making right judgments and choices for the glee club.

The sixteen official members and other trainees of the Warblers gathered in a spacious, comfortable, and relaxing room in _Dalton Academy_. As there was lack of seats, every meeting or rehearsal, they can seat wherever they are comfortable with. The fireplace was lit. The crackling fire played through its grates. The walls were made of wood, the furniture (mostly a three-sitter sofa) was all too good to criticize, and the atmosphere was absolutely refreshing.

At first glance, it was as if you were looking at a group of clones. They wore the same clothes: a red, cotton vest on top of a plain, white polo shirt and grey slacks; the differences were their faces, hair style and color, and skin tone.

"I don't understand why we have to wear uniform in the middle of summer," complained one trainee.

"You'll get used to it," whispered Jeff from behind.

Blaine stood up from his cushy seat and cleared his throat, signaling the start of his speech and call to silence. "Esteemed council, fellow Warblers, honored guests, today we shall find out who gets to be voted for next year's head council. First, I present to you the nominees: Warbler Jeff (he stood up, smiled, and made a heart sign using his hands), Warbler Nick (he nervously raised his hand, but Jeff made him stand up), aaaanndd let us welcome Warbler Lauren (Jeff just noticed that there was a girl sitting quietly in the corner) to our glee club!"

With exception to the council, the Warblers made uncouth noises and indistinct shouting as soon as the girl was addressed. Blaine's introduction drowned in the clamor, he was outraged by the sudden interruption of his speech and left him speechless and gazed at his fellow Warblers instead. The sound of the banging gavel echoed through the room once more, this time Wes was yelling at the top of his lungs. "THAD, DAVID, I WILL HAVE ORDER!"

The clamor died down. Wes pointed the gavel at each of them like he was about to bash them with it.

"We know she's a girl. But there are no rules in the Warbler code that a girl cannot join our glee club!" Wes explained.

Trent was about to raise an objection but then realized it was too soon to react. Instead, he pursed his fat lips and crossed his arms, eyeing the new girl. He just transferred to _Dalton_ a year before. He came from North Carolina but flew to Ohio after his parents have been commissioned from their jobs. This N.C. cowboy lived a very luxurious life, explaining his body's build: fat and chubby. Mostly, the Warblers admired him for being the voice of reason, but he's much too assertive to be totally thought highly of.

"Does this mean she's a part of the Warblers already?" asked Nick, who was sitting comfortably on a brown, recliner chair.

"Indeed-y," David answered enthusiastically.

Nick looked at Jeff, who actually gaped and marveled at the new girl too. It's rare to see a girl within the walls of Dalton. The other Warblers were making so much fuss about it. Some were negative, and then positive. The girl, Lauren, simply glanced at them with her piercing, blue eyes.

"'_Handpicked_'! Is this a joke? Oh, great. What, is this some sort of free country ("It is!" scoffed David)?" sneered Trent. "My point is, this is not just your regular, run-off-the-mill glee club, my dear Warblers. If the public – or the school – finds out we've recruited a female, we'll be basking in critiques! _Dalton_ is exclusively for boys, gentlemen! Anyone or anything, including all school clubs, must only be of the male classification."

The Warblers made sure that they were all in the tête-à-tête. Indefinite quarreling of ideas filled the room, drowning the deafening banging of the gavel. Even Thad and David joined the shouting. Jeff need not mind the quarrels of his glee clubbers; it was the girl that distracted her.

Nick mindlessly stared at Jeff for a moment. Jeff was resting his right arm at the padding of the sofa while appreciating the view. He knew for sure that Lauren was making a newfound impression on him. He swore he just saw Jeff wincing and winking at her. The brunette could not help but feel jealous that this new girl is getting all his attention.

"I don't approve of it," Nick involuntarily commented, staring at his feet.

Suddenly, the hubbub broke. Utter silence filled the room. Nick, raising his head after realizing the awkward silence, was reluctant to say anything, or at least repeat what he just said.

Wes looked intently at him. Now all eyes were on Nick, then Wes asked. "You'll become one of the council… why is it that we don't have your approval?"

Even Jeff, whose eyes were only for Lauren, now glanced at him. Nick gulped, "Put simply, Lauren is a girl. Our club _and_ our school are exclusively for boys ("What makes _you_ say that the Warblers is exclusively for boys as well?" David inquired). As what Trent may have said, the school is… kind of like our father ("Aren't alma matters addressed to as a female?" Thad asked foolishly) – a mother, then. What she wants for us, we follow."

"Our headmaster only approves of an all-boys club, not that the Warbler code doesn't matter," Trent followed suit, trying to impart some sense to them.

Jeff laughed, "Naïve."

"This is getting interesting," Wes said, feigning incapacity. "Please tell us why they're naïve, Jeff"

Nick shot him a furtive look.

"While it may seem true that the headmaster is the top dog around here, the council people still gets to decide things, Nick," Jeff addressed Nick, but he was not looking at him. "I'm pretty sure the school would approve of it if we win competitions with her. If it doesn't work out that easily, we can still practice off-campus without them knowing that we have a female member, right?"

"True. But the premises of our rehearsals will be in…?"

"That may easily be remedied,"

"Wait, are you saying she gets solos?" Nick asked, squinting at him.

Nick was loosing his control, but he didn't want to argue with Jeff further. He can't seem to put his finger to it, although something was stirring inside him that isn't quite right while having a face-to-face with Jeff. He thought it was wrong to contest his best friend.

Jeff tilted his head sideward, and then faced Nick. "Do we detect a little jealousy?"

_Look who's talking_, Nick thought. He addressed Wes instead, "Is she also getting solos?"

Wes looked at Thad and David, who both nodded, followed by a hesitant "yes_._"

At that, Nick bolted out of the room and slammed the door close. Jeff stared at Wes, asking for permission, and he gave the heads up. He pursued Nick out into the corridor. The Warblers were left raising eyebrows and murmuring in hushed tones.

"Nick!" called Jeff.

Nobody answered.

The corridor was empty. It mimicked the furnishings of the choir room, as if you just ran into the same room but quite lengthy than the previous one. Jeff stared into the polished, marble jar across the path he was into. He saw, in the reflection, someone along the window panes, looking into the street. He turned around the corner and saw Nick.

"Nick," he quietly said.

He didn't turn to him. He was busily admiring the beauty of the traffic outside. His forehead squashed onto the window and his right arm above his head, messing up his perfectly combed hair. Jeff laid a hand on his left shoulder.

Nick shoved his hand off his shoulders.

"What're you so worked up about?" Jeff asked nicely.

"None that you care of," he replied lazily.

Jeff was surprised with his tone. Nick never talked to him like this before, except for the time he asked for his help courting Riley. Nick kept asking if it was good for him to have a relationship in such an early age, but he knew he was just concerned for his best friend's future.

"Seriously, Nick," Jeff assured. "You can trust me"

Nick turned to him and pushed him away. "I-I'm going home… Please, don't follow me."

Then he left, walking away from Jeff.

He kept wondering all day what Nick was upset about. The solos? Everybody knew it was Blaine's playground. There are no chances of new recruits excelling in one of those – or upstaging one of his performances. They haven't even heard the newbie sing yet. Having a girl for a head council? Jeff and Nick valued the supremacy of boys. Even their sister school, _Crawford Country Day_, Riley's school, both of them would show off their skills and intelligence to the girls at weeknights at the _Lima Bean_. It was Jeff's idea to impress girls, frequently resulting to brutal, cold, and hard slaps. Or was it his looks for Lauren? He was pretty sure Nick caught sight of his sleazy glimpses at the new girl. He knew he made a promise to Nick that it was "_only Riley_" during his courting days with her.

In actuality, Riley made things much worse. Jeff could not deal with her anymore. She was a total bore to be with. She only asked how beautiful she was to his eyes, how perfect a date she dreams of, how Jeff should dress himself, how their relationship should work out. To his concern, it was all about her. She was stupid and self-centered. A new girl could be of some use to him these days, he thought.

Jeff went back to the choir room, knowing that the election for head council was called off. Wes told them that they will follow the code of 1993 wherein the nominated councilmen were the ones to decide who their head will be. So it was up to Jeff, Nick, and Lauren. Jeff made a last sweeping look to the girl, who was now resting her head upon her crossed arms over the desk at the corner, before finally leaving the room then the premises and drove back home.

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><p><strong>It fell short from my expectations, but I'm satisfied with it. Proper corrections were already made and… hoped you liked it! :)<strong>


	3. Dispirited Away

**A/N – I've finally decided that Jeff is the major main character of this fanfiction, though I will include some chapters in which we will delve into Nick's POV. To those asking, I do not follow some of the real-life-situations of the actors in the Warblers. As mentioned in the disclaimer, this is entirely fictional and I only use ****part**** of their lives/character/personality to what I will call "inspirational gap-fillers." Oh, and before I forget, check out the edited Chapters 1 and 2 ;) **

**A/N 2 – Yeah, this chapter is quite long… Anyway, please enjoy this chapter as well, thanks!**

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><p>Chapter 3: Dispirited Away<p>

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><p>Something was loudly buzzing. Jeff's head hit the floor, realizing that it was that broken alarm clock going off every three hours that caused it, or so he thinks. He straightened his shirt and dusted his shorts. The sun has already risen; he could see it through the gap of his currently closed curtains. While his head was still hurting, he pushed himself away from the floor and got up. He approached the window and slid the curtains apart.<p>

Jeff scratched his aching head when he heard a faint shout by somebody from outside their house, "Morning, sunshine!"

He opened the window, stuck his head out, and looked below. It was Nick. He was sitting on the grass, legs widespread, and playing with what seems to be a football. The sky-blue sweater he wore almost blended on their neatly-trimmed lawn. Jeff rubbed his eyes in surprise.

"Wanna play catch?" Nick asked eagerly.

Jeff cannot believe that his best friend was outside as if the events of yesterday haven't occurred. "Wearing a sweater mid-summer? Are you insane? It's friggin' hot!" he joked before finally replying, "I'll be down for a while."

Nick was glad Jeff was over with their inappropriate fight yesterday. He tossed the football upwards and caught it, smiling to himself.

Jeff hurriedly took a shower, ate breakfast, and bid goodbye to his family. He was sure that today's bonding time with his best buddy would take longer than usual, although something bothered him since the other day and wanted to talk about it to Nick. An unusual pang he felt from the pit of his stomach bothered him for a while, and he was sure it's not something he ate.

Nick was already sitting on the white, wooden rocking chair in their all-white front porch. The wood made noises every time Jeff's shoes hit the floor. Nick smiled eerily at him. "First things first: sorry about yesterday. It's not that I don't like having girls in the glee club… no, I'm down with that, really. Well, I just respect the Warblers' code and ethics… and Dalton's too," he explained apologetically.

"It's cool, man. You're just too uptight about rules," said Jeff, trying to make sense of Nick's actions. "I think you need some rehabilitation"

Nick laughed. "I'm not into drugs, you bastard"

"So, catch?" rambled Jeff.

He nodded. "Let's go to the park, it's spacey there than here, aight?"

Jeff agreed and led the way. He told Nick about the Warblers' decision of how the head council would be chosen. Nick was quiet all throughout, listening only to him. Jeff tried to continue explaining how the code of 1999 went through. He was shocked that Nick was humming to himself and not reacting.

"So…? What d'you think?" he asked impatiently.

"Cool,"

Jeff was getting annoyed. "That's all?"

"Yes," Nick answered curtly.

The blonde scratched his head, annoyed. "Are you agreeing to it, then?"

Nick played with the football silently, gazing hard and seriously onto the stitches. Jeff was scrutinizing his reaction, of this Nick was sure. He rolled the football for a few times before finally replying, "I am. I'm sure it's obvious." Then he smiled eerily at the blonde.

Jeff made an involuntary noise and wrinkled his forehead. "I know you're not really down with it, man… Are you're being one-sided now?"

"You know what, Jeff? Yeah, anything you're okay with is fine by me too…" Nick answered, hesitating.

"What do you mean? Clearly, I do not mean to impose."

"There is certainly no imposition there, Jeff. You're my friend… _best_ friend… I'm sure you have sound judgment… I'm the one lacking it… and what you decide for the club is for the good of all."

"Wow. You're sounding like _Braveheart_, you know that?" the blonde laughed, trying to entail humor in their serious conversation.

Nick stared at him, confused, and then joined his best friend's laughs. He stopped when he realized that Jeff stopped laughing and was suddenly fixated on the football Nick was holding, abruptly following the end of his laughter. Nick saw his light-brown eyes shine even in the sunny day. He licked his lips, a mannerism Jeff makes when he is in deep thought or nervous, making his best friend shiver perceiving his thoughts.

"What up?" Nick broke the ice.

Jeff realized that his buddy was staring at him worriedly. "Huh? Oh, it's nothing. I was wondering… Er, no… Well, I apologize for talking back to you in the choir room. It's just… I think you were acting weird these past few days, y'know. Weeeiirrrdd…"

The brunette was surprised at his apology. He knew it was his fault that the blonde was becoming anxious to him because of his actions. He couldn't help but feel that something might be amiss that Nick couldn't quite put his finger on. "I should be the one saying sorry, Jeff. I'm making a big deal out of small things."

The blonde smiled gleefully, baring his teeth. Nick was happy seeing Jeff delighted and amused. He raised his hand and Jeff took it, making a brother-to-brother shake.

"Hey, I just remembered," Nick began. "Mom's making a batch of cookies. You want to grab some bites before we play?"

"Oh, God, I love your mom's cookies!" exclaimed Jeff, sounding a bit too overreacting.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," the brunette laughed.

Instead of their usual route to the park, the two best friends turned to the street of Nick's home. A couple of blocks just before the park was Nick's humble abode. Their house was huge, a three-story house built alongside the duplex houses, most of them being sold by his mom – a real estate agent – as a side job. What was most commendable was that their whole street was still in a lot of greenery: tall trees covering the view of the sky, their house made of wood like some cabin in the arctic, and the flowers flourishing on every house in the street. The blonde pictured, in his mind, standing in front of a cabin in a rainforest.

Jeff admired Nick not for their family's wealth but for his humility despite having quite such lavish lifestyle. Although he didn't see it at first, Nick truthfully admitted this to him the first time they hung out together.

"You're early," Nick's mom said the moment she heard the door open. "Oh…"

Jeff made a polite gesture to his mom and smiled. His mom seemed to be surprised by his visit that her mouth was gaping on Jeff while exchanging nervous glances to his son.

The blonde turned to look at Nick, who he thought he just saw making gestures on thin air to his mom. The brunette quickly shoved his hands inside his pockets the moment he saw Jeff looking.

This time, Jeff straightened and observed Nick's mom from behind the marble kitchen counter right beside the door they entered. She wore a violet tracksuit – apparently quite athletic like his son and has just finished jogging – and a pink, flowery apron over her attire. Her hair was a little curly, which Nick might have inherited so he always combs his hair so it wouldn't look wavy that way. There were deep eyebags on her eyes, an evident result of her busy work schedule.

Jeff has a high regard for Nick's mom since she was always there whenever or wherever he needs her even though her schedule would not permit her. "My son first, then my job," he recalled her saying that in a bring-your-parent day presentation in grade school. She was very supportive of Nick. She was always present on what ever occasion Nick is taking part in. Jeff hoped his mother would level Nick's mom's compassion. He remembered how he first asked permission to form their band…

Nick's mom suddenly motioned them to the living room, asking what they wanted to eat and drink, interrupting Jeff's reminiscing. His son immediately told her that they were interested in the cookies she was currently baking.

"It's a good thing I got prepared for this!" she said, withholding humor and sarcasm.

Jeff didn't have a clue of what she meant and scratched his head instead. "I love your cookies, ma'am"

"Aren't you the sweetest thing?" Nick's mom returned the compliment. "It's gooood that my Nicky have fweeends who like my cooookiiieess –"

Nick scowled at her. He stopped his mom in baby-talking his best friend, which drove her mom away from the two with creased forehead and eyebrows, now returning to her baking. Jeff found the situation amusing and smirked silently.

"Okay," Nick started, clasping his hands loudly, making Jeff look.

"Oh, yeah," the blonde digressed. "Li'l bro Jake wanted me to tell you that we're doing rehearsals this incoming weekend. You in?"

Nick, somehow, looked rather repulsed to his question. "Would I ever miss a rehearsal? You're nothing without a drummer!"

Jeff wanted to make a witty comeback, but he wouldn't want yesterday to repeat itself. Being the tactful man that he was, he said, "Aight. Tha's cool."

The brunette had an impression that his best friend was rather hesitant to his reply. Looking back, he thought he may have gone too far. He fancied deviating Jeff's attention to something else, then he said, "Hey! I've an idea! You wanna see my new collection? I've just been addicted to collecting ballers! So I'm making some designs myself. I'd like to ask your opinion on it, if that's okay with you."

"No problem. Let's see it," he replied squaring his shoulders, then searched for any signs of rubber in the room. "So, where is it?"

The brunette laughed as if Jeff asked a silly question. "It's in my room."

Jeff looked up to him, and then shifted his eyes to the stairs. "Upstairs, right."

Nick scrutinized Jeff's reaction. His sight shifted everywhere. He, then, remembered the last time that he brought his best friend to his room. They played a single round of _Halo_ and Jeff ended up sleeping through the whole game. Nick's mom thought that he and Jeff got drunk and started to scold them. Nick explained that he was fatigued due to their constant rehearsals for the recently concluded benefit concert days before the senior's graduation. His mom, completely embarrassed, apologized to Jeff, who she mistook immediately as a bad influence when she thought they were drunk.

He reminisced how Jeff welled shallow tears for those newly-graduated members of the Warblers. Nick loves how he valued every member and treasured their moments with each other. Hopefully, he wanted to emulate Jeff by his exemplary feelings towards other people, the way he can snake his way through people's heart without being too charming or too deceitful.

Without knowing it, the blonde pulled Nick by the hand and led the way to his host's, his best friend's bedroom. Nick was taken by surprise that Jeff eagerly wanted to see his collection, which he just fibbed to sidetrack his best friend from the most dismal of thoughts. What escaped his mind was the sensation he felt the moment Jeff's hand took his. It was warm, pleasant, friendly, but suggestive. Compelling, devious thoughts vexed the brunette in that moment, but his best friend shook them along as they hurriedly climbed the stairs.

He forgot that Jeff was addicted to ballers too – _it was pure coincidence_, he thought. Jeff makes a fashion statement every jamming session they have with the band. He wore countless ballers on his left arm on their performances on-stage. It looked cool with him – the ballers. Jeff is already cool, Nick thought. He smiled throughout his entire inner monologue that he didn't notice that they were already in front of his bedroom door.

"What are you waiting for? Go in!" he barked at Jeff.

Jeff licked his lips, rotated the knob, and went it. Nick followed suit, closing the door behind him.

"I feel as though I've bailed on you that time," Jeff reminisced, looking at the red bean chair he slept last time. He shivered at the thought. "And your mom… scary…"

Nick laughed. "Don't worry. I've talked things with her when you left."

The wooden floorboard amazed Jeff because it seems as though it was waxed and swept everyday. He could see his reflection from the floor. The air inside his room was refreshing, unlike his, which you could smell the stench of a slob teenaged boy. Nick is a neat freak, Jeff always sees him cleaning things that are his. No wonder his room is clean too, he thought. Nick admitted this himself, but surely he is not obsessive-compulsive like that lady they saw one day at the park, scrubbing the bench and its underside using a small brush before she sat, talking to a quite small man with a butt for a chin.

Jeff helped himself to Nick's bed. Its aroma smelled as though it was washed just recently. "Pine trees," Jeff said, almost in a trance. Nick sniggered.

"Whaaaat?" the blonde raised his eyebrows.

"Nothing!" the brunette said, restraining his laughter. "Let me get the ballers for you."

Jeff crossed his legs and rested his head on top of his arms. He stared at an open cabinet across the room. It impressed like pure magic to him. Maybe it was because of the fact that there had been no cabinet there in his previous visit. He could see there wasn't anything in it. No clothes, no cleaning materials, no trash, no nothing. His curiosity of the cabinet's content elevated. "Hey, you have a new cabinet? What's in there? Trophies from your athletic activities? I'd like to see them!"

Nick turned. He saw Jeff's position on the bed. A lump started to form in his throat, but he gulped it down. Breaking a sweat, he said, "G-gahh, uhh, n-no. Nothing's in there. Supposedly, i-it'd be a stockroom for… old trinkets and used books of mine that I'm no longer using. But... but there's a whole load of 'em in the attic that I'm too lazy to bring down."

"Uh-huh. There was no cabinet there, last time I went here," the blonde nodded, closing his eyes. He was sure Nick lied. He stutters when he does, he knew this. Another thing to amplify his suspicions was that the brunette quickly closed the cabinet after Jeff mentioned it.

"Here," Nick said. He carried a cardboard box over to Jeff. He must have dozens of his collection, Jeff was amazed. The blonde brought his hands over them and picked one design out.

"Woah, this is cool!" he exclaimed, brandishing the baller that said _Keep Calm and Warble On_. "You made one for the Warblers? Wait, what was the original reference to this quotation?"

"Yup. And, oh, I dunno. Got that line from the internet. The Warblers' female fanbase made them on a t-shirt. I decided I should make a baller version of it. Cool, eh?"

"Hells, yeah! Can I keep one? It's your design anyway, you could make another one!" he said, grinning his way.

Nick couldn't hesitate. Jeff knew how to worm his way into his heart and mind. "Fine. Supposedly, you owe me two-fifty for that. I profit from my designs, you know. Sell them online."

"Two-fifty! This? Well, I never!" said Jeff, astonished. "Li'l 'Nicky' is turning into an entrepreneur, is he?"

"For that, you now owe me five bucks," Nick said, making a straight face.

"Whaaaat?" the blonde shouted in diminishing notes. "You're joking."

Nick laughed. "Of course, you can keep it. If your brothers – or sister – asked, tell them I designed it… That is if they want one. Oh, and tell your fans too. But by that time, I'll ask for payment – seriously now. And, please, don't you ever mention 'Nicky' again. I shall maim you to death."

The blonde chortled. "You're in the band and in the Warblers too. Surely you have fans yourself who you can sell to."

"Was that a question?"

"No, it was a fact,"

"Then, I guess I have!" sniggered the brunette.

Nick knew full well that Jeff, Blaine aside, had the most female fans in the Warblers. In addition to that, his fans from their band racked up the numbers in his legion of admirers. He guessed that Jeff was too oblivious to notice that he was more _famous_ than Nick.

"Cookies are done, boys! You can get them from the counter!" shouted his mom from the first floor.

"Coming!" Nick shouted back.

He set aside the box on his bedside table. He turned to Jeff without looking at him and said, "I'll go get the plate of cookies. You can stay here and look for more designs if you like."

Jeff nodded. "Sure."

The brunette stepped out of the room and out of sight. The blonde was left alone, twirling the baller along his fingers. He got up the bed and decided to gaze at the view from the room's window. Before doing so, he strapped on the new baller he got from Nick. Just then, he caught sight of the cabinet door the brunette tried to pry him away. He hesitated, but he approached the door nonetheless yet with caution and scanned for any sign of Nick.

The stillness of the sound signaled him to proceed with the inadvertent trespassing. The door's dial mocked him. It was too clean; Nick might have wiped his fingerprint off of it after he closed the door. He was afraid that his best friend might run a fingerprint analysis to see who touches the cabinet door's knob.

_We're best friends. No keeping secrets. What's the difference of this?_ He thought.

Jeff touched the dial, twisted it, and the door opened.

It was just as he thought it would have been: empty. Then why was Nick embarrassed to let him look what was inside? He gave up. He laid a hand on the door and was about to close it when he saw something was plastered across the backside of the door. They were pictures. To get a clearer view of them, he opened the door wide. Much to his surprise, they were pictures of him – of Jeff. Some were their glee club's performances to various stage projects focused on him, some of Jeff's constant involvement in pageant shows in Dalton, and mostly were pictures of them together, hanging out and laughing. They were plaguing the backside of the door.

The blonde couldn't understand. He could feel the implication within this collage. Was this the repercussion of their friendship, Nick falling slowly for Jeff? Was this the reason behind his best friend's previous actions?

He could not bear the damn of it all. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. He thought Nick was the perfect best friend, but he still is to him. Confused, Jeff decided to close the door. Now, he didn't mind if he left fingerprints or whatsoever. He returned to his idea to gaze upon the view from the windowsill to neutralize his confusion.

What if Nick idolizes him? _Yeah, that's it_, he thought. Clearly, Nick looks up to Jeff because he was mainly good at everything. He was selfish to think that his best friend wouldn't be affected by such trivialities of skills. No, it was merely admiration, not jealousy. He pressed his right hand on the windowpane. The towering trees obscured his view of their neighbors, the birds chirped merrily, and the leaves from the trees rustled from their branches.

Suddenly, the main door opened, making Jeff jump in surprise and flustered on the spot. Nick came in, carrying the batch of cookies his mom made. "Le's dig in!" he chirped merrily. Jeff didn't fairly enjoy the intrusion between him and his sight-seeing. He lifted his left hand, leaving a dewy handprint, which faded seconds later on the window.

Jeff stared at him for a moment. Nick now wore a mitten and put down the tray of cookies on his bed. The brunette offered him some and ate away. Jeff took the cookies and began to eat them, but he was looking at the tree outside. He saw two birds, tweeting cheerfully, and perched side-by-side upon a tree branch. They flew a distance away from the tree and started brawling and tackling each other on air. Seconds later, the two birds parted their own ways, fluttering as they go.

"I should go," the blonde said quietly, after finishing the one cookie he ate.

"Hmm?" Nick said, still munching on a cookie and catching Jeff's eye. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing,"

"Are you feeling okay?"

"A bit dizzy. I hit my head on the floor this morning,"

"Ooouuccchhhh," laughed Nick, but stopped it right away seeing Jeff being so morose. "Well, I hope we hang out again soon."

Jeff didn't answer. He waved goodbye and strode to the door. He was supposed to bid farewell to his mom too, but she was out of sight. It seemed that Nick ordered her not to go snooping on them.

As he was to open the door, he saw Nick at the bottom of the stairs. Still wearing the mitten, he was transfixed at Jeff, wondering what was wrong. The blonde turned his head to the brunette, licked his lips, smiled in hesitation, and said, "See ya, Nick." The brunette gaped silently as the blonde closed the door behind him. "G'bye, Jeff," he breathed. Gone from Nick's sight, Jeff rubbed his left arm and noticed the newly-acquired baller. He finally remembered the original version of the line: _Keep Calm and Carry On_.


	4. Irritation

**A/N – So sorry for the slow updates, I'm all up to my ears with projects and exams. Many thanks to those who subscribed on my fanfic ;) Finally, this is where it all starts, people. Keep Calm and Read On!**

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><p>Chapter 4: Irritation<p>

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><p>"Arrrghhh!" Jeff grunted, facing the floor full in the face. "N-not again!"<p>

He hit the floor again this morning. The alarm clock was getting to him. He wondered when he will buy a new one as a replacement. But the thought vanished when a brand new sensation penetrated his head. It hurt more than it did yesterday.

He felt his head. At a single stroke of his middle finger, he found a small bump forming on his forehead – a pimple – and he just squashed it head-on onto the floor. The zit seemed to have protruded some liquid on contact. He was a bit disgusted as he touched it, but then he thought it was only human nature to have one of those… especially in his age.

"Jeff, you okay?" a voice asked kindly as his bedroom door opened.

It was Jake, his second youngest brother. A blonde like him, Jake was often mistaken as "Jeff Jr." since he also took his oldest brother's appearance and looks. Even girls Jeff's age are swooning over Jake, although puberty hasn't taken over his youngest brother yet.

Having a "less distinct nose," he was much more musically inclined than his big brother. Jake has a higher pitched voice than Jeff, a noticeable proof that he still has much to grow. However, Jeff wished his brother's voice would only change a little because their voices were perfect matches during songs with harmonies. On the contrary, Jake hated it because his classmates would often tease him for sounding like Bieber – not that he has something against him or whatever.

"I heard you yell," Jake continued in his still squeaky kind of voice.

Jeff propped himself up with head downcast. "Yeah, just stumbled from my bed – it happens. The stupid alarm clock did it."

"It's how it says 'good morning' to ya," Jake laughed. "Oh, yeah. Have you told Nick about the rehearsal today?"

The name hit a nerve. He suddenly remembered the cabinet, swarming of pictures of him, in Nick's bedroom. Jeff, still confused as ever, didn't confront Nick about it. He was afraid of what he might say, or how he might react to it. Truthfully, he didn't like to end their friendship just because of his suspicions. Maybe Nick DID have a reasonable explanation for that. Jeff felt stupid for not giving his best friend a chance, and more so, left him confused as he was yesterday, wondering what was wrong with Jeff. But Nick might think that Jeff was prying onto his things if he did inquire it and might evidently lead to distrust either way. Silence was the only answer, he exclaimed in his thoughts.

"Still with me, bro?" Jake asked suspiciously.

"Yeah," he replied. "And yes, I told him. But…"

"But, what?"

"But I think he might not come,"

"He told you that?"

"Not exactly…"

Jake raised an eyebrow on him. "He said he would come, but you don't want him to. What happened yesterday?"

The taller blonde, surprised by Jake's sharp intuition, stammered. "I-I… how…how did you know?"

"I can read you like a book," the short blonde replied, laughing quietly. "Seriously, you're a brother of mine. I know how ya think… Almost fifteen, I think, years we've been living together in the same house. You underestimate me, bro."

"Naaahhh, I think you have superior perception skills," said Jeff, trying to laugh it off.

"But seriously, what happened? You two hung out, right? And you came home early all blue and gloomy. I remember you mentioning coming home late yesterday." Jake said, sticking to the topic and making wild gestures to the air.

Jeff locked his eyes onto Jake's. "Nick _might be_ gay."

The blonde tossed his head away dramatically. He waited for a reaction from his little brother. Seconds passed, and Jake still wasn't showing any signs of surprise. "You knew?" Jeff asked, annoyed.

"Well… sort of… yeah," he replied indecisively. "I had a sneaking suspicion that he was. Seeing that you two… almost always spend each time with each other, but… it wasn't really clear, okay? Look, you aren't even sure yourself!"

"You could've at least told me your 'sneaking suspicions',"

"What! Why would I? I don't break people's relationships with others!"

"Yeah, right. So much for being the 'charismatic' vocal of the group…"

"Hey! Leave me out of this, and how is that related to me not telling you my suspicions?"

"You started it! I didn't want to talk about it. And I'm dragging you into it," Jeff said, teasing his little brother.

The door flung open and out came the two's only sister, Jessie. Her features are strikingly familiar with Jeff's. The only difference this time is that she's a girl and has longer hair. With no tinge of brown in her hair like his, her hair is much more noticeable when she ties it into a pony tail.

Jeff caught a glimpse that she only wore a pink nightgown that crept only down to her thighs. He admires her for being bold in what she wears, even if she was unaware that, sometimes, they are overrated and his brothers would notice that she was a bit of a "flat-chest." Jeff constantly reminds his brothers not to tell Jessie about this information when she's out of earshot and at times that they make fun of her crazy outfits.

"People!" she shouted. "It's eight a.m. in the morning and what's with all these noise!"

"Speak for yourself," replied Jake sarcastically.

"Yes, crack your jokes, Jake," she snapped at him. "I just got up from my ten-hour siesta, and I would appreciate if you could tone down your voices."

"Aaaand… what good would that do to us?" Jeff smirked.

"Nothing! Who said this was about you?" Jessie retorted, making a face that confirms she's a woman.

She slammed the door to their faces, leaving the two almost breathless. "Scary," Jake mouthed.

"Scared? Not me, I'm not!" the older blonde sneered.

"You're the one to talk! You couldn't even tell her she's a flat-chest!" laughed Jake. "You were the one who came up with that, ha ha!"

"Shut up." He was defeated. "Let's see you try."

"You said I'm scared... and I definitely am," Jake defended himself, running towards the door and scurried off. "Don't forget about the rehearsal!"

"WIMP!" called Jeff. "I'm not going to catch you! You don't need to run! AND YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO TELL ME THAT!"

Jeff was left alone. The first thing that came to his mind was to freshen up for the rehearsal and to try to get rid of the irritating blemish on his forehead. Almost in a reflex out of consciousness, he rubbed the pimple with his right hand. "Argh," he grumbled, scowling mechanically on the floor. Right hand still on his forehead, he swiped his blanket from the floor and placed it neatly back to his bed.

He headed for the towel rack and rushed to the bathroom. Jeff almost slipped on the wet tiles out of sheer aggravation, but he steadied himself and grasped the metal towel bar. The blonde stared onto his reflection upon it. Images of Nick crashed into his mind, deluding the tall blonde into so much confusion. His head ached; he clapped his palm onto his forehead and the pimple spurred prickling pain into his mind. He let go of the bar and lost his balance. The blonde fell with a loud thud, hitting his head hard on the cold, rigid floor tiles.

The door flew open. His vision was blurring. He can vaguely hear somebody swearing. "Jeff? Jeff! Jeeeefff! Can you hear me? Fuck! Waaake up! Oh, shit. Mooooooom!"

His left arm twitched. Something red glared back from his wrist. _Kee… alm… on… _Still swimming in images of him and the brunette, he remembered once again the baller he gave yesterday. He uttered, "Nick." Then everything sank in total darkness…

There were hushed voices. He can barely catch some of them.

"…were talking… yeah, 'bout him… outside…called… Nick,"

All he heard was _blah_, _blah_, _blah_, Nick. Where was he? He tried to open his eyes, but he lacked the strength to do it yet. His head still ached; he couldn't even remember where he was last. The pain subsided as his breathing became stable and linear.

The voices trailed off. He was in complete silence yet again. The atmosphere induced him to sleep once more. Sick images of Nick, cross-dressing along a walkway, found their way into his unconscious mind. The blonde stood below, among the sidelines, cheering on for his best friend in a surreal pageant show. He saw Nick's face full of happiness. The brunette looked brightly at him and waved. The blonde waved back and wolf-whistled.

It seemed like hours have passed and he found himself to be awake for a second time. His dream was disrupted by a sudden jerk from his feet, a sensation he occasionally experiences when feeling tensed. It was nothing but a dream. Jeff found it bizarre, dreaming of his pal cross-dressing and him supporting his best friend's odd activity. He still has not confirmed his suspicions so it was altogether an awkward dream to reminisce.

He tried to open his eyes again. His eyelids flung open and horror struck him. His eyesight has gone entirely fuzzy and blurry. He blinked – no luck. He did it again. Same result. He shut his eyes firmly that he didn't notice he was biting his lips.

"Jeff," someone called his name, "you awake?"

The voice sounded familiar. The speaker was a male. It was a lower kind of baritone. He spoke friendly and pleasant. His voice almost sounded like a sigh. He loosened his firmly shut eyes.

"Nick?" he replied back. "Are you there?"

The speaker exhaled noisily and replied, "Yeah. Your family was here with us a little while ago. They left us."

"Where are we? I can't see a thing!"

"Well… we're at the hospital. See, you bashed your head onto the floor. Nasty, really. Your impact and blood loss resulted in _temporary_ blindness," Nick answered heartily, giving emphasis to "temporary."

Ah, yes. He remembered. Jeff basked in so much contusion that he fell off balance on the bathroom floor. Just then he remembered about his last conversation with Jake.

Jeff groaned. "Temporary! But what about the rehearsal? The gig? Oh, god, the gig! We're playing tonight at Newport Music Hall!"

"That was two days ago, buddy! Calm down. The doctor said you need to rest. You should be able to recover your eyesight by three or four day's time."

"Three of four! That's almost a week!" Jeff shouted. "Screw this."

"They will be back later if you were to ask. They just ate lunch somewhere. 'They' as in your family, but your mom isn't here. She's at your house preparing something for you," Nick exhaled noisily again, almost sounding like a laugh. "I was wondering what happened. Jake called me up suddenly saying you knocked yourself out on the bathroom floor."

"You said there was blood loss?" Jeff asked incredulously. "That's gross. And to think on my own bathroom..."

"I was gonna say 'it's your fault anyway'," explained Nick, "but it'd sound tactless on my part. Anyway, don't stray from the question, what happened?

"Lately that's the question plaguing from everybody's mouth," Jeff answered bluntly. "Let me put it this way, I ran into a convulsion."

"That'd be a nice and short way of putting it, I guess, although I can't help but feel there's a story behind it."

Nick was urging him, he could sense it. He badly wanted to ask Nick about the misgivings he could feel from their last meeting. The blonde grasped the edges of the blanket over him with a tight fist. Although Nick couldn't see this, the brunette got the impression that his best bud was struggling for something.

"D'ya want to talk about it?" Nick suddenly asked nicely.

Jeff tossed his head, hesitating. "I do…"

"Then tell me,"

His reply was forceful but still, friendly and welcoming. Jeff racked his brains for a subtle way to settle this. But his mind still hurt, adding the itchiness the pimple is causing. He wanted the feeling to end.

"Nick. Why are you so nice to me?"

Jeff could feel that his best friend was surprised of this because an awkward silence followed seconds after his question. "Nick? Are you still there?" Jeff called out, a bit impatient. "Yeahhh," Nick heaved a sigh. "Why are you suddenly asking that?"

"Just answer the question…"

After heaving another sigh, Nick rubbed his nose. "Well… uhm… Is this a trick question?"

"Niiiiicccckk… seriously now..." Jeff sounded a bit too impatient.

"Okay! Okay! Just as I said, is this a trick question? We've been through this before. You're my best pal, okay? Stop asking."

"Oh, so now I should be the one answering questions, is it?" the blonde replied hostilely.

"Easy. Watch it," Nick said, trying to calm him down. "You should rest. We can talk about this when you're recovered…"

"I want to talk about it now, Nick,"

The brunette flinched as he heard his name. It seems that Jeff meant business and wasn't fooling around with the question. To Nick, it would appear that the blonde knew something beyond his awareness. What could be driving Jeff to this? Nick knew he lacked courage to confront people, even now his best friend is somehow browbeating him and yet he still doesn't converse clearly. He was afraid of what Jeff has to say; especially since he has this sinking feeling that it all started that day they last met…

Nick closed his eyes. _I get it_, he thought. _He knows, he saw_. "Did you see it?" he asked silently.

Jeff was glad he finally got in the momentum. He sensed that Nick has, at last, come to a realization.

"Did you see it?" Nick was now the one asking the question, quite forcefully so.

"I… I didn't mean to…" said Jeff, sounding innocent.

Nick's noisy exhaling turned into a loud grunt. "And what did you see, specifically?"

"Um… it was… empty? What are we talking about?"

"The cabinet. Please, tell me honestly, Jeff." His tone became more like a whine to the blonde. He also seemed to be pleading. Jeff knew at once that Nick was already aware of what he saw. He was just assuring.

"There were pictures at the door… of me…"

Finally, the truth comes out. Jeff was the one who heaved a sigh now. He was glad he got that off his chest. What a burden it caused, bringing about injury further. However, he realized how awfully silent Nick had been.

"Are you mad?" the brunette asked out of the blue.

"N-no! I'm not mad. I just don't know how to act in response… That was why I asked you why you were so nice."

"Oh, so that's what this is all about," Nick said. "To be honest, I dunno too. It happened all of a sudden. I'm sorry I can't explain everything straight right now. Just knowing that you already knew caught me off-guard too."

Jeff smiled at him.

"Don't strain yourself. Rest. As I've said, we can talk about this when you recover. Anyway, I have to go now. Just came by to visit. Bumped into Wes again this morning, he's sending his regards, along with the rest of the Warblers," Nick sniffed. Jeff thought he might be crying silently.

"Say 'hi' to them for me," the blonde said, "and thanks."

"Rest easy, Jeff," the brunette advised him. "We're nothing without a leader."

Jeff almost laughed. He called out, "Hey! Hey! Nice comeback. And not to mention late! Ha ha ha!"

He heard Nick laugh silently, his footsteps trailed away from his bed. The door opened and he heard a faint, but audible "I love you, Jeff."

Jeff was taken aback. It was the sweetest thing he ever heard in his entire life. Riley did say this some time ago, but it didn't sound sincere or at least pleasant to his ears. This time, however, was different. Jeff found himself blinking back tears that welled from his eyes. A sensation best expressed only in his bedroom, away from prying eyes. Yet it felt like it had been years since his last.

He meant to reply, but uncertainty held back his tongue. The words choked in his throat. "I… I…" The door closed disdainfully on him. Nick was already gone.

Tears overflowed from his eyes, streaming fast past his cheeks and flowing to his ears. He wiped them off hastily, conscious that somebody might be there, but there wasn't any. Suddenly, the door opened once more. He could hear his brothers and Jessie filing inside the now crowded room. JC, his youngest brother, sneaked up to his bed and whispered, "What was that all about?" He sniggered.

"Shut up," croaked the blonde.

"Now don't aggravate your brother any further," Jeff heard their father warn them. "Take a breather, Jeff. Your mom's worried sick about you. She's bringing you your favorite dinner tonight – she's still preparing it at home though. She wants it perfect for you today. Oh, and not to mention Jake here who found you lying unconscious on the floor. You should be grateful to him too."

"Yeah, you should!" Jake said. "And I cleaned your bathroom. That was disgusting, ugh…"

"Don't get so cocky," scolded their father. "C'mon now, kids. I'll drive you home. I'll be back by half an hour, Jeff. If you need something or something's hurting or whatever, there's a buzzer beside you. It'd call your nurse."

"Your nurse is h-a-w-t!" Josh, his other brother, whispered to his ear after their father is entirely out of hearing range. "Get well soon, bro."

Jessie called out to him. "See you on the flip side. And, please, try to recover fast, would you? I wouldn't want a bedridden brother in front of our band's fans."

Jeff thanked his siblings and bid goodbye. With another shuffling of feet, out they went, leaving Jeff bathing in the complete, refreshing silence. He flung his right hand to where his father indicated the buzzer. There it was. Josh's comment on his attendant, the nurse, escalated his intrigue. But the thought of Nick dropping the "_I love you_-bomb" on him clouded his mind. He wasn't sure what how he should react. It, however, seemed to him that those were the words he was longing for from Nick.

The blonde found, yet again, himself blinking back small amounts of tears welling from his eyes. Only this time, the tears trickled down his cheeks, leaving a tiny, wet spot on the white sheet in which Jeff lay upon. Minutes later, the spot dried, leaving a small stain that the blonde would lie on top of, pressing together the mattress and the stain.

He wished he knew what he should reply to Nick, although one question also popped in his mind… _Am I gay? _He thought sharply.


End file.
